Islington pupils making record progress

New figures tracking student progress show pupils at City of London Academy Highbury Grove - previously Highbury Grove School - have made the biggest improvement of any school in Islington this year.

The Progress 8 score for Highbury Grove has risen from -0.46 to 0.29, which means that, across eight subjects analysed by the Department for Education, pupils are achieving approximately six better GCSE grades in their subjects than they were in 2017.

This is not only the biggest improvement of any school in the borough, but also one of the largest improvements in the country.

The Islington school, which celebrated its best ever GCSE results this summer, was officially taken over by the City of London Academies Trust (CoLAT) in December last year.

The data also reveals the school saw 69 per cent of pupils achieving grade 4 at GCSE level (previously grade C) and above in English and maths, with approximately 50 per cent achieving the new benchmark grade 5 in English and maths. This represents a 10 per cent improvement on 2017.

Andrew McMurtrie, Chair of the City of London Academies Trust, said:

“We will continue to ensure that all our schools provide the very best experience, empowering young people from all backgrounds to reach their full academic and personal potential.

“We are very proud of how hard our students and staff have worked, and we are delighted that this has translated into such positive results.”

The data also showed that another Islington school, which is part of CoLAT - City of London Academy Highgate Hill, previously Mount Carmel Catholic College for Girls - also saw a six per cent increase in GCSE passes in English and maths.

There has been exceptional progress overall at City of London Academy Islington (CoLAI), which the City Corporation co-sponsors with City, University of London, with figures produced by the school showing GCSE pass rates in English and maths are now running at 70% - up from 30% in 2011.

And at the newly-opened City of London Primary Academy Islington (CoLPAI), 10 per cent more pupils in reception achieved good levels of development compared to the national average, with 24 per cent of all pupils exceeding the government’s benchmark level for five year olds.

City of London Academy Highbury Grove, City of London Academy Highgate Hill and City of London Primary Academy Islington are part of the City of London Academies Trust, which runs the City of London Corporation’s sole sponsored academies.

The City of London Corporation sponsors or co-sponsors 10 academies across Hackney, Newham, Islington and Southwark. In 2017, Sutton Trust named the City Corporation as the UK’s best academy sponsor for empowering pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform above the national average, and the leading academy sponsor for Progress 8 and Attainment 8, which track pupil progress and achievement.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The City of London Corporation has a unique family of schools comprising one maintained primary school, 10 sponsored or co-sponsored academies in London boroughs, and three independent schools of which two are located within the Square Mile.

The City of London Corporation sponsors, co-sponsors or governs the following schools:

Co-sponsored academies

O City of London Academy, Islington (co-sponsor City, University of London)

O The City Academy, Hackney (co-sponsor KPMG)

City of London Academies Trust:

O City of London Academy (Southwark)

O Redriff Primary, City of London Academy

O Galleywall Primary, City of London Academy

O City of London Primary Academy Islington

O City of London Academy Highgate Hill

O City of London Academy Highbury Grove

O City of London Academy Shoreditch Park

O Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre City of London Academy

Local Authority maintained school:

O Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School

Independent:

O City of London School

O City of London School for Girls

O City of London Freemen’s School

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk